Child-Adolescent Teasing Scale: psychometric properties of the Turkish version.

BACKGROUND

The tools to measure teasing are not available in Turkish literature. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and performance of a Turkish version of the Child-Adolescent Teasing Scale (CATS) among a sample of Turkish children.

METHODS

Four hundred middle school (grades 5-6-7-8) students comprised the sample. CATS is composed of four subfactors and 32 items. Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by five experts. Psychometric testing included internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlations), test-retest reliability, construct validity (principal component analysis via oblique rotation and confirmatory factor analysis), and variability (floor and ceiling effects).

RESULTS

Of the participants, 52.5% were female. Their mean age was 12.54 ± 1.11. Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by five experts. The Content Validity Index of the scale was .87. The correlation coefficient ranged between .34 and .70. Cronbach's alpha was .92 for the total scale. The test-retest correlation value was r = .87. The scale confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale had a four-factor structure. These four factors explained 55.51% of the total variance. The reliability coefficient of the relationship between each subscale in relation to the total scores of the scale ranged from .56 to .93.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the Turkish version of the CATS which has good psychometric properties similar to those of the original English version is a valid and reliable tool. While the original scale has 32 items, the Turkish version of the CATS has four factors and 23 items. It can be used to assess teasing in children and adolescents.